Disney shakes up release schedule: Avatar sequels and MCU films delayed, Deadpool 3 bumped up

Disney has made some major changes to its film slate for the next few years, and these changes include James Cameron's Avatar movies and those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The next instalment in the Avatar franchise will now hit theatres in December 2025 instead of its earlier December 2024 release. The fourth Avatar movie will now release in 2029 and the fifth in 2031 — that's more than eight years from now. The next big Avengers movie in MCU, Avengers: Kang Dynasty, will now arrive in May 2026. It was earlier set to be released in May 2025. This particular decision may have something do with Jonathan Majors, who plays Kang the Conqueror, being charged with domestic violence and abuse.

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Avengers: Secret Wars, Kang Dynasty's followup, will now release on 7 May, 2027.

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In addition to those, quite a few other MCU movie releases have also been delayed. The fourth Captain America movie, subtitled Brave New World, will now release in July 2024 and not its earlier May 2024. Thunderbolts, MCU's answer to Suicide Squad, will release in December 2024. The vampire superhero movie Blade has beenshifted to February 2025, and Fantastic Fourwill hit the screens in May 2025.

Deadpool 3 bumped up and other changes to the release schedule

Disney has also moved forward the release date of Deadpool 3, which will bring back Ryan Reynolds' foul-mouthed mutant along with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Deadpool 3 will now release on May 3, 2024. The recently announced live-action remake of Moana will see the light of day on 27 June 2025.

An untitled Alien movie, to be directed by Fede Alvarez with the blessing of franchise godfather Ridley Scott is set to be released in August 2024. An untitled Star Wars movie arrives in December 2026. Another Star Wars film, also untitled, comes out in December 2027.

Avatar 5 will release 22 years after original Avatar

That is a huge gap between films in the same franchise that are not remakes or continuation of same characters. Avatar movies are set in the mid-22nd century on the fictional planet Pandora, where in the first film humans have discovered a valuable mineral called unobtanium. To extract it, they establish a mining operation that threatens the indigenous population of humanoid beings known as the Na'vi. The story follows a paraplegic former Marine named Jake Sully, who takes part in the Avatar Program. This programme allows humans to remotely control genetically engineered Na'vi bodies while their consciousness remains in a lab. Jake's mission is to infiltrate the Na'vi and gather information for the mining company. However, as he spends more time among the Na'vi and develops a deeper connection with their culture, he begins to question his loyalty and ultimately becomes their ally in their fight against human exploitation.

The sequel, The Way of Water,has Sully building a family with Na'vi woman Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and trying to protect them from the nefarious designs of earthlings who are hellbent on exploiting the natural resources of Pandora.

The films explores themes of environmentalism, colonialism, and the clash between technological advancement and the preservation of nature.

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